Documentary on the appalling treatment of soldiers of Algerian nationals.

[pachapapa]

France 3 this evening, monday, at 20:35 will transmit a documentary entitled "La Blessure"; a fitting title for the treatment afforded to the "harkis".

http://www.programme.tv/la-blessure-2985163.php

[Quillan]

There was a most excellent movie covering WW2 and the Algerians who fought with the French army, it was French (with English subtitles) but the name escapes me, I am sure somebody will remember the name. Basically not vey nice how the French treated them.

By the way the camp is at Clara not Riversaltes and its still there. Built by the Germans during WW2 for transit prisoners in the region to death camps then used for many ethnic groups coming to France and also for Spanish escaping Franco. They want to pull it down (its in the centre of an industrial estate now and surrounded by German companies) but many French in the area think it should stay as a reminder of some of Frances worst moments in history.

[pachapapa]

le film français de Rachid Bouchareb, "Indigènes".

[Quillan]

Thanks, good film I thought, with a strong political undertone about the realities of "liberty, equality, and fraternity" when it came to North African French troops in WW2. Even in death they were buried separately.

[NormanH]

Thank you I will watch it.

An even more explosive film which was shown at Cannes this year is

Hors-la-loi

which deals with the Sétif massacre of Algerians by the French forces at the end of WW2

It is clear that France has reconciled itself less well to its past  atrocities than Germany or Britain.

[5-element]

Trailer for tonight seemed excellent. Thanks for "Hors la Loi", Norman, it has received some rather mixed reviews as it is supposed to contains a lot of inaccuracies - I havent' seen it yet.

There is also the classic "Battle of Algiers" (Pontecorvo, 1966)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Algiers

[NormanH]

I have the Battle of Algiers on DVD.

Although in bw and old it is a wonderful analysis of the origins of terrorism.

A pity it wasn't on Blair and Bush's viewing lists.

[pachapapa]

[quote user="NormanH"]Thank you I will watch it.
An even more explosive film which was shown at Cannes this year is
Hors-la-loi
which deals with the Sétif massacre of Algerians by the French forces at the end of WW2

It is clear that France has reconciled itself less well to its past  atrocities than Germany or Britain.
[/quote]

Hors-la-loi starts in french cinemas tommorow wednesday.

The publicity on link below.

http://www.tadrart.com/tessalit/horslaloi/horslaloi.html

[BJSLIV]

For anyone who hasn't already seen it, Indigènes is on France2 next Sunday evening.

[5-element]

"La Blessure" last night left me numb and despairing - I was growing up in France at the time, and I can now see how few people really understood or knew what was really going on in Algeria then. There were those young Frenchmen who did not have a choice and were sent to fight there for their compulsory military service  (I knew at least two who did not come back, just as I knew one who smashed his own hand with a hammer while on leave back in France  - he could not bear to go over there again). Where I live now, and probably all over France too, there are those who still will not talk about what they saw and what they did there.

It is only now, with documentaries such as "La Blessure" that we can begin to see the true extent of the horrors there - and how whether you lived or died was purely down to luck in many cases. So harrowing. How could the French powers of the time betray so many people after using them as they did? It is unforgivable. What a dirty way to end colonisation.